The federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation, and Technology (BMVIT) is responsible for planning, financing, and establishing infrastructure for e-mobility. The Electric Mobility Model Regions Program aims for the progressive installation of charging infrastructure, the supply of renewable energy, and the development of new business and mobility models.

Other initiatives are also contributing to the further development of the charging infrastructure. An overview of charging points already in operation across Austria through all infrastructure initiatives is available online. Companies in the energy industry have either started pilot projects or launched cooperation to develop and establish charging stations.

Image courtesy of Everynear.

Telekom-Austria, a telecommunication company and operator of public phone boxes that are no longer in use or demand, has started to extend public phone boxes with e-charging facilities.

The plan included the conversion of at least 30 phone booths into charge points. It can be activated via SMS, RFID chip or a “Just-Plug” Chip developed by Everynear under the framework of the Lighthouse Project Initiative.

The charging points are suitable for both single-lane and two-lane vehicles. Supermarket retail chains, such as REWE and Spar, are starting to establish charging infrastructure in their current store locations.

Electromobilty Model Regions

Five model regions are in development since the 2008 program launch: Rheintal - Vlotte (Vorarlberg), Salzburg,Vienna,Graz, Eisenstadt.

Rheintal - Vlotte (Vorarlberg)
In 2008, Vorarlberg was awarded funding to begin the first e-mobility model region in Austria. It is subsidized with €4.7 M by Austria’s Climate and En­ergy Fund for phase one and €551,000 for phase two beginning in 2010.

Instead of purchasing an electric car, the customer gets a “mobility card” for approximately €350 a month (exact price depends on vehicle type).The mobility card includes, apart from the car lease, maintenance costs of the electric parts, a free pass for the Vorarlberg public transit system, and free charging at public charging stations. After four years the car can be purchased by the customer for a residual value of 25% of the initial purchase price. A key for the park-and-charge system gives access to all park-and-charge stations in Switzerland, Austria, and Germany along with additional benefits.

Salzburg
The three-year target for this region is 2,000 electric vehicles that will include 1,000 passenger cars. The vehicles are leased under a subscription and returned after a certain period of time. These charging stations are exclusively supplied with renewable energy.

Vienna
Hundreds of charging stations in place and electric vehicles on the road by 2012 are planned to be supported by funding of €1.3 M. The “E-mobility on demand” con­cept for this model region consists of the integration of electric vehicles into compa­ny and car sharing fleets. A “mobility card” specific for this model region is expected to shift demand from private vehicles to public transport and E-car sharing service.

Graz
Graz will be also focus on the optimization of the regional transport system and the integration of 500 electric two-lane and 2000 single-lane vehicles from 2011–2013 with a funding of €1.6 M. The installation of 140 charging stations with 950 charg­ing points is planned. The additional energy demand will be partially supplied with new photovoltaic units. In total, a yearly saving in CO2 emissions of approximately 1000 tons is expected.

Additional activities by the Graz city council include a subsidy of €1,500 for elec­tric vehicles for taxis or social and delivery services. Vehicles for driving schools are eligible for up to €1,000. The “Municipal Energy Concept Graz 2020” includes a section for electric mobility and sets a target of 15% of new registrations for electric vehicles by the year 2020.

Eisenstadt
The concept for the model region in Eisenstadt foresees taxi services moving from traditional vehicle use into electric vehicle use as well as the implementation of E-car sharing and E-carpooling business models. This project was approved for 2011–2013 and is funded with €560,000.

OTHER ELECTRIC MOBILITY INITIATIVES

Europe’s first transnational electric mobility project will connect the two cities of Vienna, Austria and Bratislava, Slovakia.The objective is to demonstrate the operational ability of the overall system of elec­tric mobility.

The Slovakian-Austrian trans-border cooperation consortium includes the En­ergy Centre Bratislava, EVN, Wien Energie and Zapadoslovenska energetika, headed by the Austrian electricity company VERBUND. Between 2011 and 2013, the partners will invest more than one million Euro in the twin city region.